phenomenon

4. How to educate disadvantaged youth on the dangers associated with the internet and to be aware of cyberbullying and online speech phenomenon

To counter this phenomenon and at the same time educate disadvantaged youth on the dangers that it causes, it is essential to start learning about it at an early age. This is work that has to be done at home and in schools so children can better recognise the problem and how to react to it. According to different researchers, there are steps that parents and educators can take to educate their children and to help them against cyberbullying.

How do parents and educators have to react against cyberbullying and online

speech phenomenon? Before the child is abused, parents can prevent this in advance by following some advice. We can not foresee or change the actions of the people with whom they interact, but we can educate our children. Let's prepare them against harassment in the same way that we try to prepare them against aggressive drivers or against the influence of undesirable friends: by building and strengthening their character.

Children should know there are limits in the use of the Internet and social media and for this reason it is necessary the presence of adults, to let them know how to use it. Experts recommend not to use social media before the age of 14 because it is important to have maturity and most of the children are not well prepared for this. Educators and parents should take into consideration that until the user learns and gets used to it, digital communication exerts a much more direct and powerful influence than verbal communication. The misuse of technology is one of the factors that experts point to as being responsible for promoting new cyberbullying behaviors among adolescents. It is essential that from the beginning the user internalizes the risks and dangers of the network and the risks of open communication. Moreover, the recommended age to have a mobile phone for example is over 14 but we have to keep in mind that it could be a difficult moment for parents and children due to adolescence where the communication between parents and them is hard so it is considerable to manage the trust well.

Another step for parents is to know who is speaking to their children and where they go but again, this is essential to have a positive relationship and communication with them. Experts recommend that parents and adults need to be roles for children. Since they are little, they follow us in every action so when they are teenegers they should feel they have got great examples and they can learn from them. As a general rule, it is preferable to foster an open dialogue relationship with adolescents, based on communication with parents and mutual trust. Young people can learn by themselves and will gain self-confidence by not feeling excessively overprotected (although protected).

In addition, it is highly recommended that parents know how to act in the event that their children become victims of cyberbullying and where to go to seek help or report it if they consider it necessary.

In conclusion, there are 6 simple steps that can be followed to against cyberbullying and online hate speech: to explain to children the limits of communication when they use mobile phones or the Internet; to avoid cyberbullying and online hate speech, adults should speak about the sites that they visit and people who are connected with; adults should have updated information about digital contents: social media, online games, visual contents in general (tv, movies, etc); to study and learn about how to have and manage trust with our children; we should be an example for children and show them how to use digital tools properly. To live with new technologies is a way to get closer to our children.

How should teachers react and prevent this phenomenon?

The role of the school against this phenomenon is primordial as it is the center of a kid's life. This kind of abuse takes place at home and in different parts of the child's life but it affects the educational environment. Students are so worried about cyberbullying that they can't focus on their studies or are afraid to come to school. It has become a school climate and safety issue. Teachers should know and recognize the signs to prevent and help their students if they are suffering abuse.

One of the first steps is "take it seriously" . Teachers should let children know that they are aware of the situation and they should help them when they need it. It is not a game and this should be known. Another important part is to recognise the signs. To get this, teachers and educators should receive proper training to learn the principal signs and know when a child is being bullied or abused by others.

Also, children have to know that any kind of abuse could be reported and teachers need to teach them how to do this important step to against bullying. Finally should be aware of what is happening and schools should provide the right help and resources to continue working with them at home.